Ooreoluwa Okediji’s Passion for Social Justice and Fashion by Yamillah Hurtado
Photo courtesy of Ooreoluwa Okediji
Senior Ooreoluwa Okediji and her family moved to the United States from Nigeria when she was just 15 years old, and her love for her home country remains at the core of her passions. As a political science major, Okediji said she wishes to one day bring political reformation and social justice to Nigeria after building a political platform for herself. She hopes that by the time she occupies a position in politics there will already be progressive politicians in office she can work with to move Nigeria forward. “It’s extremely saddening to study all of the negative effects imperialism has had in my home,” Okediji said. “We have all these intelligent Nigerians that are going abroad and we are not reaping the benefits [of their labor] because the system is just so broken.” From politics to prints and patterns, Okediji said she also has a deep love for fashion. She delights
in her ability to express herself through the clothes she wears and experimenting with different styles. Okediji said she dreams of creating a fashion brand one day that will focus on Nigerian culture, specifically the styles of her tribe, Yoruba. “It’s the most beautiful thing with the vibrant colors, the patterns, the headwraps and jewelry,” Okediji said. She said she hopes to push Nigerian models and designers to the forefront of the fashion industry. Okediji said she believes in her country and its potential to be a progressive and innovative nation. She said she looks forward to helping bring her home into the global spotlight through political reformation and her passion for fashion. “I’m proud of my heritage,” Okediji said. “I’m proud of where I’m from. I want my home to do well, you know, I want it to excel.”
Lexi Scanlon Goes Sustainable by Lydia duPerier Senior Lexi Scanlon is passionate about the way humans connect with the environment. Scanlon, a double major in political science and sociology with a minor in sustainability, grew up in Bakersfield, California. Scanlon said she was not always fond of her town’s agricultural focus but grew to love it. In summer 2020, Scanlon worked on a small sustainable farm in her hometown, where she saw how agriculture could be more environmentally friendly. The model of the farm is an edible schoolyard. She spent most of the time planting and harvesting seasonal crops, using sustainable methods. “It was a really great way to actually learn some of the science behind farming and to understand the
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hard work that goes behind farming sustainably,” Scanlon said. Scanlon is a member of the Young Evangelicals For Climate Action. The organization requires her to work on a project she can implement in the future. She wants to create a mini magazine for Pepperdine students that would inform students about where Pepperdine is environmentally and include topics relating to students’ interests, like surf patterns. “I would really like to give back to where I have gotten my education,” Scanlon said. Down the road, Scanlon said she hopes to implement mandatory climate change and environmental courses on college campuses — perhaps her own — to further educate the future leaders of America.
Photo courtesy of Lexi Scanlon
